These advanced steps are primarily for system administrators and others who are familiar with the command line. You don't need a bootable installer to upgrade macOS or reinstall macOS, but it can be useful when you want to install on multiple computers without downloading the installer each time.
Here are the methods to create a bootable USB drive on Mac. Creating a Bootable USB Using Terminal. Create a Bootable drive with the help a third party compression software, which is available for free. Creating a Bootable USB Using Terminal: The terminal is the default gateway to the command line on a Mac. With this handy bootable USB installer, you can reinstall macOS without much trouble. If the time comes to use this tool, insert it into the USB C port and boot the machine while holding down the.
What you need to create a bootable installer
- A USB flash drive or other secondary volume, formatted as Mac OS Extended, with at least 12GB of available storage
- A downloaded installer for macOS Big Sur, Catalina, Mojave, High Sierra, or El Capitan
Download macOS
- Download: macOS Big Sur, macOS Catalina, macOS Mojave, or macOS High Sierra
These download to your Applications folder as an app named Install macOS [version name]. If the installer opens after downloading, quit it without continuing installation. To get the correct installer, download from a Mac that is using macOS Sierra 10.12.5 or later, or El Capitan 10.11.6. Enterprise administrators, please download from Apple, not a locally hosted software-update server. - Download: OS X El Capitan
This downloads as a disk image named InstallMacOSX.dmg. On a Mac that is compatible with El Capitan, open the disk image and run the installer within, named InstallMacOSX.pkg. It installs an app named Install OS X El Capitan into your Applications folder. You will create the bootable installer from this app, not from the disk image or .pkg installer.
Use the 'createinstallmedia' command in Terminal
- Connect the USB flash drive or other volume that you're using for the bootable installer.
- Open Terminal, which is in the Utilities folder of your Applications folder.
- Type or paste one of the following commands in Terminal. These assume that the installer is in your Applications folder, and MyVolume is the name of the USB flash drive or other volume you're using. If it has a different name, replace
MyVolume
in these commands with the name of your volume.
Big Sur:*
Catalina:*
Mojave:*
High Sierra:*
El Capitan:
* If your Mac is using macOS Sierra or earlier, include the --applicationpath
argument and installer path, similar to the way this is done in the command for El Capitan.
After typing the command:
- Press Return to enter the command.
- When prompted, type your administrator password and press Return again. Terminal doesn't show any characters as you type your password.
- When prompted, type
Y
to confirm that you want to erase the volume, then press Return. Terminal shows the progress as the volume is erased. - After the volume is erased, you may see an alert that Terminal would like to access files on a removable volume. Click OK to allow the copy to proceed.
- When Terminal says that it's done, the volume will have the same name as the installer you downloaded, such as Install macOS Big Sur. You can now quit Terminal and eject the volume.
Use the bootable installer
Determine whether you're using a Mac with Apple silicon, then follow the appropriate steps:
Apple silicon
- Plug the bootable installer into a Mac that is connected to the internet and compatible with the version of macOS you're installing.
- Turn on your Mac and continue to hold the power button until you see the startup options window, which shows your bootable volumes and a gear icon labled Options.
- Select the volume containing the bootable installer, then click Continue.
- When the macOS installer opens, follow the onscreen instructions.
Intel processor
- Plug the bootable installer into a Mac that is connected to the internet and compatible with the version of macOS you're installing.
- Press and hold the Option (Alt) ⌥ key immediately after turning on or restarting your Mac.
- Release the Option key when you see a dark screen showing your bootable volumes.
- Select the volume containing the bootable installer. Then click the up arrow or press Return.
If you can't start up from the bootable installer, make sure that the External Boot setting in Startup Security Utility is set to allow booting from external media. - Choose your language, if prompted.
- Select Install macOS (or Install OS X) from the Utilities window, then click Continue and follow the onscreen instructions.
Learn more
For more information about the createinstallmedia
command and the arguments that you can use with it, make sure that the macOS installer is in your Applications folder, then enter the appropriate path in Terminal:
- Big Sur: /Applications/Install macOS Big Sur.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia
- Catalina: /Applications/Install macOS Catalina.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia
- Mojave: /Applications/Install macOS Mojave.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia
- High Sierra: /Applications/Install macOS High Sierra.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia
- El Capitan: /Applications/Install OS X El Capitan.app/Contents/Resources/createinstallmedia
A bootable installer doesn't download macOS from the internet, but it does require an internet connection to get firmware and other information specific to the Mac model.
First of all, we usually used Desktop or Laptop in our daily life for many different purposes. We play games, share content between devices, play music, surf the internet, and many more tasks.
But the essential part which lets you do all these tasks is an operating system. Probably, an average user is dependent on Windows OS, or for Apple devices, Mac OS and developers, hackers, and programmers use Linux.
But approx 80% of users use it because Windows is affordable and easy to use. And, there are many different operating system Versions of Windows available as 7, 8, and 10.
To install the same, we often use a Bootable CD/DVD. But, due to the advancement of technology, users don’t have space and time to carry CD/DVDs, and these things can be corrupted easily.
So we instead use Pen Drive for data sharing, and as well as we can install any OS through Pen Drive by making them Bootable.
Therefore, there is much best software to make bootable Pendrive. By using bootable pen drive software, we can easily install the operating system.
How To Make Bootable Pendrive For OS.
Requirements:-
- Must have 4GB or 8GB pen drive.
- Windows ISO or other OS setup files.
- PC/Laptop.
- And Software To Make Bootable Pen Drive.
Firstly, Download any software form the given below and install it in your PC/Laptop, then attach your Pen Drive with your computer: open software and select Windows ISO or Setup folder which you have.
Then select Drive or path of your attached Pen Drive and click on the Next button. It will automatically make bootable Pendrive just in few minutes.
Make Bootable Usb Software For Mac Os
Best Bootable Pendrive Software List.
Make Usb Bootable For Mac
1. Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool.
Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool lets you install Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10 on your computer with bootable Pendrive software. Because if you have an ISO file of windows, then you cannot install it on your computer directly.
First, you have to create a boot order, or you can do it on your pen drive with the help of this tool. Just insert your pen drive and open Windows 7 USB/DVD Download Tool.
Then select an ISO file from your computer click on next. It will make your bootable pen drive, and then you can install it on your computer by running the Setup.exe file.
2. WiNToBootic.
WiNToBootic is yet another bootable pen drive software that helps you to make your bootable pen drive for windows vista/7/8/8.1.
Download the software and insert your pen drive into the computer open it and select ISO file from the computer and click on DO IT !! button the procedure is the same as the above software.

It is instead a speedy and convenient software which you can use. It is a standalone as well as user-friendly and supports NTFS, windows all versions.
3. WinToFlash.
WinToFlash is another window-based bootable Pendrive software. If you have download an ISO file in your computer, then you can create a boot file in your pen drive this tool.
It merely helps you to create a bootable pen drive of windows, and after you make a bootable pen drive, then install windows anywhere anytime from your pen drive and do not have to worry about CD/DVDs.
Insert a pen drive in your computer and run Setup. Exe file and it will install windows on your laptop.
4. UNetbootin.
UNetbootin lets you create a bootable live drive of any Ubuntu, Windows, and Mac OS. You can make your pen drive bootable with this tool.
Download the ISO file of windows and open this tool, then insert your pen drive and select from the tool ISO file.
It will, therefore, automatically create your pen drive with a bootable file And you can install a window from your pen drive directly.
5. Universal USB Installer.
Universal USB Installer is another bootable Pendrive software that supports Linux distribution. You can create a bootable pen drive of windows 7, Vista, 8, 8.1 as well as you can also create bootable Linux windows select a Linux or Windows ISO file and click on OK.
6. WinSetupFromUSB.
It is one of the best options to make bootable Pendrive. With the help of this tool, we can easily install multiple Operating Systems on a single USB drive like Windows 7, 8, and Linux.
When we boot the OS from the USB drive, and it will ask which OS would you like to Boot. We do not need multiple USB drives for Multiple OS.
Bootable Usb On Mac
Its interface is simple but a little tricky for non-technical Users.
7. RMPrepUSB.
RMPrepUSB is another best bootable Pendrive software for creating USB for installing OS. It is a lightweight tool with its easy to use interface. It is available in many different languages.
We can easily make Bootable Pendrive for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, Linux, etc. We need to select our USB, OS type, and iso file.
It also provides an inbuilt emulator to test a Bootable drive.
8. Rufus.
It is another Best tool to make a Bootable USB drive. It can make bootable all the versions of Windows and Linux.
It automatically detects our USB device after Plugin. We can know which method we are going to format.
We need to select the OS type, and ISO image then Click on Start Button. We do not need to install this Tool. It runs only with double Click.
Making A Mac Bootable Usb Drive
9. Windows Bootable Image Creator.
It is another good option to Create Bootable USB Drive for PC. It is a lightweight tool. We can create a Bootable drive from CD/DVD drive, and we can also browse ISO image files from the system.
It provides a simple interface with only a few buttons, no confusion. We can use it to create any version of Windows and Linux OS.
10. X boot.
It is yet another Good Tool that instead offers a combo pack of ISO image creator and Bootable USB Maker. We can easily create an ISO file of software and OS and quickly write them on USB.
Create Bootable Mac Os Usb
It is more than a USB Bootable Tool. We can easily make a Backup disk with multiple OS and Softwares. It is a lightweight tool with an easy to use interface.
We can easily add iso file to burn them on USB.
Create Bootable Usb Mac
Hence, These are the best bootable pen drive software for windows and Linux easily. Choose any of them which you like most and find comfortable. If you need any assistance or have any queries, feel free to write to us in the comments below.